Browsed byMonth: March 2017

Scotcheroos are a crowd pleaser!

Who doesn’t love that peanut butter and chocolate combination. It is also easy to eat a ton of them. A friend of mine asked for a healthier version of these bad boys, and I was happy to oblige.

So, I found a regular Scotcheroo recipe like this one. Then, I modified the ingredients. This still doesn’t make Scotcheroos a health food, but it makes you feel a little bit better about eating a treat.

In a typical Scotcheroo, there is white sugar, refined cereal, corn syrup, sugary chocolate, and peanut butter (that may have some not so good ingredients). Using my simple swaps, we are at least getting quality sources of sweeteners, nuts, and grains. Maybe to even further balance it out, you should have a nutritious dinner like salmon burgers before hand. It’s all about balance, right!?!?! haha

Easy, Quick, Healthy Snack or Treat for Kids

Homemade Larabar recipe for a fun, healthy snack treat for your kids!

I tried a recipe experiment this morning for Noah’s afternoon snack today, and it turned out great. WIthin one minute, I had blended some pitted dates and macadamia nuts in a blender cup, formed little logs, placed them in a container, and packed them in his lunch box.

So easy, quick, and healthy! Plus, this is much less expensive than buying the premade Larabars, and you can experiment with your kids favorite flavors.

Please share, and have a great day!

Ingredients

3/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup nut of choice (cashews, macadamia, etc.)

Note: If you choose unsalted the sweetness comes out more.

Directions

1. Measure 1/2 cup pitted dates and 1/2 cup nut of choice (cashews, macadamia, etc.)
2. Place ingredients in food processor or blender cup.
3. Pulse gently until you have created a chunky paste.
4. Scoop out large spoonfuls and form into small logs.
5. Wrap individually in saran wrap or store in airtight container.

Kids love treats! But, as parents we want to have healthy, easy options.

Ever have a kid begging for dessert or to go to the corner ice cream shop? Yeah, me too. It’s expensive, and those are loaded with tons of sugars and artificial ingredients that leave them low on nutrients and craving for more junk.

There are many bloggers out there with healthy recipe options for treats, but some are time consuming and the ingredients are expensive. Plus, there is no guarantee your kids will like them. And, that’s the whole point, right!?!? Get them asking for the homemade, healthier stuff instead of the junk.

Well, I am here to tell you I can totally empathize, and I am here to help you find solutions to the struggle. This recipe is a crowd pleaser with natural ingredients, healthy fats, and vegan.

How I Came to Make This Fudge

With my step-daughter Brynn, we have been doing movie parties with her every time she finishes a Harry Potter book. She is 6 by the way. So, it’s pretty impressive she is reading those. For one of the parties, she wanted a “fudge” treat for Cornelius Fudge (hahaha, clever, right?). We love to theme our food. Anyway, I didn’t want to make a sugary, junk filled fudge. So, I searched on own on my favorite sites, Pinterest, and I found this recipe.

Next, I modified it to ingredients I had on hand and own’s that I knew Brynn would like. You can do the same by using the nut butter you have or sweetener of choice (maple syrup, raw honey, dates, agave). I am just going to list what I did. Whatever nut butter you choose, make sure you READ THE LABEL. Aim for NO hydrogenated oils, sugar, corn syrup, or preservatives.

Recipe

1/2 cup all-natural almond butter

1 banana

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TBSP coconut oil

2 TBSP raw honey

1 TBSP cocoa powder

Ingredients

Melt coconut oil.

Add all ingredients to the blender.

Blend until smooth.

Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

Pour the fudge “batter” into the baking cups. It should make 6-8.

If you would like, up the wow factor of your fudge by topping it with toasted coconut (unsweetened), chopped nuts, or chocolate chips (preferably Lily’s chocolate chips sweetened with stevia).

Place the cupcake pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until the fudge hardens up.

Why should I eat beans?

Our bodies need carbohydrates, and beans are one of the foods that healthy, traditional cultures have eaten for thousands of years. Beans are a great source of phosphorus, iron, and fiber. In today’s world where our bodies are bombarded with toxins and environmental pollutants, we need that fiber.

Honestly, when starting on a paleo, ancestral diet, I got a phobia of beans. However, I came across Dan Buettner, who wrote The Blue Zone about populations that lived the longest. Here is a talk with Dan and Chris from Chris Beat Cancer that I found really interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRUxo8FEyZo

Many of these cultures ate 1 cup of beans per day and 90% plant food diets (high carbohydrate diets) like sweet potatoes, sourdough bread, greens, and lentils. He doesn’t say sprouting is necessary, but I think sprouting is critical because this unlocks the nutrients and removes the phytic acid.

Some other characteristics of these long living populations that I think are important to reflect on are:

Exercise – low impact, all day long

Prayer/meditation

Those are not related to beans but are definitely lifestyle choices we should reflect on in trying to improve our health, quality of life, and longevity.

With fiber and carbohydrates in the diet, we aid our digestion and help our body remove toxins. I try to feed Noah sprouted beans once a week, and the next day, his body definitely cleans house! I think this is especially important on a diet that contains meats and dairy that can be constipating depending on the levels. He loves to pick up beans and eat them plain, but making a quesadilla is one of my favorite ways to feed them to him. I love that it is a quick family meal that also gets some healthy fats from the grass-fed cheese into him. I always sprout my beans the night before to unlock the nutrients and neutralize phytic acid. This aids in digestibility.

Nourishing Bean and Cheese Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients

2 sprouted brown rice tortillas

1/4-1/2 cup grass-fed cheddar cheese (many kids like mild cheese)

1/4 cup black beans (preferably sprouted)

1 TBSP grass-fed butter

Directions

The night before, place beans in a bowl of water to soak.

Cook the beans according to package directions once sprouted, and drain them.

Note: Some kids may prefer the beans to be pureed up

Shred your cheese.

Heat your pan on medium heat.

Add 1 TBSP of grass-fed butter to the pan.

Put together your quesadilla: lay one tortilla flat, sprinkle with shredded cheese. add a layer of beans, sprinkle with another thin layer of cheese (this is important to hold it together), and top it with another tortilla.